After a few weeks off from the ZJ, finally got back to it. I was able to get a day off (had to take the daughter to a doctors appointment, nothing major) so I picked up some steel to finish my front bumper and get my sliders made.

Bumper is first, bent up the tubes last night:

Saturday I'll cut em, notch em, weld em in place and splash on some paint!

Thank ya, thank ya! I'm very happy with the way she's coming along. After the holidays (and after baby #3 arrives) I'll get to making the roof rack and rear bumper. In the meantime, if I can get my wood flooring installed quickly, I can get the rock sliders made and installed since I now have the steel for em.

Well, FINALLY got the ZJ out for her virgin run. The photobucket is linked above. All in all she didn't do too bad at all. Got quite a few compliments from the group I went with on how well such a simply modded ZJ (3.5 lift, wheels and tires) handled the trail.

It was by no means perfect however. Some minor body rubbing on a portion called "The Squeeze". I lost the front right lower control arm mount on a small boulder. Fortunately after the most technical portions of the trail we did. Still had to drive about 20 miles off road (sand washes, some minor rocky areas and lots of washboard) to get to paved roads. Then another 100 miles to home. All without that lower control arm!

Fortunately the winch cable and a ratchet strap helped keep the right sit in line and other than the occasion tire rubbing on the firewall you wouldn't know any better driving it.

So some new lower control arm mounts are on order. Along with some ACOS adjusters to replace the poly spacers on top of the RE springs. While the front axle is dropped I am going to weld up and gusset all the mounts... better safe than sorry!